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Judge-Mental

Member
1 July 2018
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Hi. My wife works in a nursing home and recently the management have changed the rostering system.

Previously staff were allocated (when first employed) or offered a section in which to work (This might be dementia, extra care, high care or general care). They could at any time request a change and if an opening was available it might be grant. However, now they are being force to change their section every 3 months.

Management noticed that there was an increased amount of staff taking sick leave or complaining about conditions in the high care section. Instead of trying to fix this issues, they decided to introduce a system whereby every staff member must suffer these harder working conditions for a time.

It is essential for the carers not only to intimately know a residents needs but also to build a rapport. This involves getting to know the residents as well as the skills and equipment needed to support them. Essentially, each section becomes somewhat specialised. Although, when being forced to change sections, their job title remains the same, the quality of care is reduced due to continual new staff not being as familiar with the section. This is also a health and safety issue.

Purposely creating a system that reduces the quality of care is a breach of the duty of care of the management. This is particularly true when there are other obvious ways to fix the issues, (such as increase staff numbers, provide more training, increase pay for this section, other incentives). I know it is an employer's right to save money, but not at the expense of unethically treatment of staff or their duty of care to the residents.

Although this treatment of staff and residents is obviously unethical, is it illegal? Are there any illegal grounds to force the employer to revert back to the old system.
 

Rod

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From an employee perspective much depends on the employee contracts/EA. See what it says about rosters

From a nursing home perspective - I have no idea.